Geneva -- The destruction of hundreds of
hospitals and clinics in Pakistan's ongoing floods, Haiti's earthquake
and other disasters underscores the threats faced by health services today
in urban areas throughout the world, and the need to ensure such facilities
can withstand emergencies and keep saving lives.

Each week, the World Health Organization
Health Action in Crises in Geneva produces information highlights on critical
health-related activities in countries where there are humanitarian crises.
Drawing on the various WHO programmes, contributions cover activities from
field and country offices and the support provided by WHO regional offices
and headquarters.

The mandate of the WHO departments specifically
concerned with Emergency and Humanitarian Action in Crises is to increase
the effectiveness of the WHO contribution …

Each week, the World Health Organization
Health Action in Crises in Geneva produces information highlights on critical
health-related activities in countries where there are humanitarian crises.
Drawing on the various WHO programmes, contributions cover activities from
field and country offices and the support provided by WHO regional offices
and headquarters. The mandate of the WHO departments specifically concerned
with Emergency and Humanitarian Action in Crises is to increase the effectiveness
of the WHO contribution to crisis preparedness and response, transition
and recovery.

This year, three key developments have
influenced WHO's emergency work: 1) the increasing demands from Member
States to strengthen WHO's emergency response operations; 2) the implementation
of the humanitarian reform, resulting in new responsibilities for WHO;
and 3) lessons learned during recent crises.